I shifted to face him directly. He was trying to see my eyes through my shades. “You still got a hard-on for Sam?”
“What?”
“Enough with the bullshit. Let’s just cut straight to business.” I rested a hand on the desk. The receptionist looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I hear you’re with that Sullivan girl, but I was there. I know how obsessed you were with my girl. So do you still have a torch? Are you and I going to have another problem like we did back in school?”
A strangled laugh slipped out, and he cleared his throat. “Jesus Christ, Mason. We’re working together. I assumed you’d be over your issue.”
“My issue?”
His head lowered a fraction of an inch. He sighed. “No, I don’t still have feelings for Sam. Fuck’s sakes, I’m with Becky. Remember her? She was friends with Samantha.”
He seemed to be genuine when he said he didn’t still have feelings for Sam. I was watching. Quinn was sleazy, but he was a piss-poor liar. I would’ve seen a reaction from him. I clapped him on the shoulder. “We can get through this.” I turned back to the girl at the desk. “You can show us that conference room now.”
“Nope. That’d be my job.”
A tall, skinny woman dressed in a business skirt held out a hand, flashing us both a smile. Her black hair was pulled back into some type of bun, and she had a bird-like nose with a small chin and dark eyes.
“I’m Maxine. I’m in charge of cross-promotions with the country club, and that means I’m in charge of you two. I’ll be the person you go to if you need anything, okay?” She gestured with her head for us to follow as she started down a hallway. “The hotel is almost complete, but your fathers want you to have a room set up here as your office. The conference room I’ll show you is now yours to use. You’ll both be given keys for the property.” A second right, then she opened a door into a basic business room.
A table ran the length of the space with black leather chairs around it. She pointed to a smaller table in the corner that was loaded with coffee and water, as well as baskets and trays of food.
“Those will be changed every day. If you’d like lunch brought in, just call the front desk. They’ll have it arranged, and as I said, if you need anything, let me know.” Two business cards lay on the table. She touched them. “Here’s my contact information.”
She pointed out the white board behind her and showed us how to use the projector. Once Orientation 101 was completed, she folded her hands in front of her. Scrutinizing first Quinn, then myself, she lingered on my bruises. “We usually schedule a small press conference to announce a new partnership, but I’m assuming you’ll want that postponed?”
“Quinn can do it,” I told her. “He’s pretty.”
Adam coughed, frowning at me. “Uh, pretty sure they’ll want Mason Kade there.”
“He’s right.” There was a different look in Maxine’s eyes now, something close to a gleam. “Your dad wants to use your name. A football star is a big draw for publicity. They’ll want you to be there, but I don’t imagine you want the state of your face getting out. Soon-to-be-NFLer Gets Beat Up. Those headlines would double our publicity.”
Adam looked away, his shoulders lifted in silent laughter.
She noticed. “What?”
I smirked. “You think I’m the one who got beat up?”
“Oh.” The corner of her mouth dipped down, just briefly. Then her shoulders rolled back. “I just…you look like you did. That’s all.”
“Being the one on the receiving end of his punches in high school a few times, I’ll say this for Mason.” Quinn gave me the smallest of nods. “There’s only one way you’d know if he was the one who got beat.”
“What’s that?”
He grinned at me. “He’d be in the hospital.”
This fuckhead. I narrowed my eyes. He was being complimentary. He was being easygoing. “I still hate you.”
He laughed. “I have no doubt, but we’re not enemies right now so…” He indicated the table. “Maybe we should act like project partners instead?”
SAMANTHA
“Hey there, my sister.”
I lowered my book as my stepbrother Mark opened the front door and came out to the porch, a smirk on his face. He looked freshly showered and smelled it, too, as he gestured for me to move my legs so he could sit next to me.
I scowled. “I was comfortable.”
He shrugged, stretching his long legs in front of him. “You’ll get over it. You know where my mom is?”
I shook my head. “She was gone when I came over this morning. I assume she’s at the country club. One of her friends has a new obsession with wedding events.”
He groaned, tipping his head back and pinching the top of his nose. “Great. My mom will start thinking she’s a wedding planner now.” He glanced at me. “Is she starting to harp on you and Mason?”
I hid a grin. “Because we both know she’s not harping on you and Cass.”
Mark was Malinda’s son, and he’d been staying at his girlfriend’s house since he came home for summer break. Cass was a point of contention. Malinda hated her, and Mark wouldn’t break up with her. I’d been a little sad when I learned he’d be staying there instead of at home. Mark was the only one from Fallen Crest Academy, my old school, who got along with Mason and Logan. Plus, it would’ve been nice to spend time with the guy who actually was an official brother to me.
He grunted, stretching out even farther. “I think she’s hoping to help your mom with her wedding, actually.”
I straightened in my seat. “Are you serious?”
He nodded, yawning. “She likes to try to be on good terms with everyone.” He gave me a reassuring grin. “I wouldn’t worry about it. She’s probably doing it to spy on Analise more than anything. My mom won’t let yours hurt you again. She was bawling the night of the Christmas party last year.”
I was taken aback. That was the first time I’d seen my mom again, and I hadn’t been fully prepared. “That wasn’t Malinda’s fault.”
“But she saw your mom hurt you, and it was under her roof. You know how she is.”
I frowned. I didn’t like hearing that at all. “I’ll talk to her.”
“No. Leave it. She’ll worry anyway. Just let her do her thing. That settles her, at least a bit.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Oh!” He suddenly shot up. “Hey, today’s the day, isn’t it?”
“What day?”
“The day Adam and Mason work together. Right? Or did I get that wrong?”
I’d walked into the bathroom this morning to find Mason looking over his wounds from the night before. I’d forgotten he had to meet up with Adam this morning. I should’ve felt some sympathy for my boyfriend, but as I took in the sight of his hardened and ripped body in only his boxers, that was the last thing on my mind. Even though we were both hurting, a minute later I’d been on the counter with my legs wrapped around his waist as he was sliding inside.
My neck grew hot. I coughed. “Oh yeah? That was today?”
He rolled his eyes. “Like you didn’t remember. I half-thought you’d be there, spying on Mason while my mom’s spying on some wedding.”
There was already a scheduled wedding to spy on, but I didn’t say that. “Right. Like I’m the type to do that?”
“Uh, yeah. You are. When it comes to Malinda, anyone is the type. I know how she can talk a rock into pretending to be a pet dog. My mom’s got skills.” He shook his head. “Skills I wish I had.”
I was going with a gut hunch here. “Cass problems?”
He cringed. “Let’s not discuss my girlfriend. What about you? Mom said you’re staying with Mason at Helen’s now?”
I nodded. It still felt weird being in her house. Mason had said I was welcome there. Logan would’ve said the same. But the person who owned the house probably had a different opinion. And I couldn’t shake the uneasiness I felt being there, especially with Mason at work during the days now.
“What?”
“Enough with the bullshit. Let’s just cut straight to business.” I rested a hand on the desk. The receptionist looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I hear you’re with that Sullivan girl, but I was there. I know how obsessed you were with my girl. So do you still have a torch? Are you and I going to have another problem like we did back in school?”
A strangled laugh slipped out, and he cleared his throat. “Jesus Christ, Mason. We’re working together. I assumed you’d be over your issue.”
“My issue?”
His head lowered a fraction of an inch. He sighed. “No, I don’t still have feelings for Sam. Fuck’s sakes, I’m with Becky. Remember her? She was friends with Samantha.”
He seemed to be genuine when he said he didn’t still have feelings for Sam. I was watching. Quinn was sleazy, but he was a piss-poor liar. I would’ve seen a reaction from him. I clapped him on the shoulder. “We can get through this.” I turned back to the girl at the desk. “You can show us that conference room now.”
“Nope. That’d be my job.”
A tall, skinny woman dressed in a business skirt held out a hand, flashing us both a smile. Her black hair was pulled back into some type of bun, and she had a bird-like nose with a small chin and dark eyes.
“I’m Maxine. I’m in charge of cross-promotions with the country club, and that means I’m in charge of you two. I’ll be the person you go to if you need anything, okay?” She gestured with her head for us to follow as she started down a hallway. “The hotel is almost complete, but your fathers want you to have a room set up here as your office. The conference room I’ll show you is now yours to use. You’ll both be given keys for the property.” A second right, then she opened a door into a basic business room.
A table ran the length of the space with black leather chairs around it. She pointed to a smaller table in the corner that was loaded with coffee and water, as well as baskets and trays of food.
“Those will be changed every day. If you’d like lunch brought in, just call the front desk. They’ll have it arranged, and as I said, if you need anything, let me know.” Two business cards lay on the table. She touched them. “Here’s my contact information.”
She pointed out the white board behind her and showed us how to use the projector. Once Orientation 101 was completed, she folded her hands in front of her. Scrutinizing first Quinn, then myself, she lingered on my bruises. “We usually schedule a small press conference to announce a new partnership, but I’m assuming you’ll want that postponed?”
“Quinn can do it,” I told her. “He’s pretty.”
Adam coughed, frowning at me. “Uh, pretty sure they’ll want Mason Kade there.”
“He’s right.” There was a different look in Maxine’s eyes now, something close to a gleam. “Your dad wants to use your name. A football star is a big draw for publicity. They’ll want you to be there, but I don’t imagine you want the state of your face getting out. Soon-to-be-NFLer Gets Beat Up. Those headlines would double our publicity.”
Adam looked away, his shoulders lifted in silent laughter.
She noticed. “What?”
I smirked. “You think I’m the one who got beat up?”
“Oh.” The corner of her mouth dipped down, just briefly. Then her shoulders rolled back. “I just…you look like you did. That’s all.”
“Being the one on the receiving end of his punches in high school a few times, I’ll say this for Mason.” Quinn gave me the smallest of nods. “There’s only one way you’d know if he was the one who got beat.”
“What’s that?”
He grinned at me. “He’d be in the hospital.”
This fuckhead. I narrowed my eyes. He was being complimentary. He was being easygoing. “I still hate you.”
He laughed. “I have no doubt, but we’re not enemies right now so…” He indicated the table. “Maybe we should act like project partners instead?”
SAMANTHA
“Hey there, my sister.”
I lowered my book as my stepbrother Mark opened the front door and came out to the porch, a smirk on his face. He looked freshly showered and smelled it, too, as he gestured for me to move my legs so he could sit next to me.
I scowled. “I was comfortable.”
He shrugged, stretching his long legs in front of him. “You’ll get over it. You know where my mom is?”
I shook my head. “She was gone when I came over this morning. I assume she’s at the country club. One of her friends has a new obsession with wedding events.”
He groaned, tipping his head back and pinching the top of his nose. “Great. My mom will start thinking she’s a wedding planner now.” He glanced at me. “Is she starting to harp on you and Mason?”
I hid a grin. “Because we both know she’s not harping on you and Cass.”
Mark was Malinda’s son, and he’d been staying at his girlfriend’s house since he came home for summer break. Cass was a point of contention. Malinda hated her, and Mark wouldn’t break up with her. I’d been a little sad when I learned he’d be staying there instead of at home. Mark was the only one from Fallen Crest Academy, my old school, who got along with Mason and Logan. Plus, it would’ve been nice to spend time with the guy who actually was an official brother to me.
He grunted, stretching out even farther. “I think she’s hoping to help your mom with her wedding, actually.”
I straightened in my seat. “Are you serious?”
He nodded, yawning. “She likes to try to be on good terms with everyone.” He gave me a reassuring grin. “I wouldn’t worry about it. She’s probably doing it to spy on Analise more than anything. My mom won’t let yours hurt you again. She was bawling the night of the Christmas party last year.”
I was taken aback. That was the first time I’d seen my mom again, and I hadn’t been fully prepared. “That wasn’t Malinda’s fault.”
“But she saw your mom hurt you, and it was under her roof. You know how she is.”
I frowned. I didn’t like hearing that at all. “I’ll talk to her.”
“No. Leave it. She’ll worry anyway. Just let her do her thing. That settles her, at least a bit.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Oh!” He suddenly shot up. “Hey, today’s the day, isn’t it?”
“What day?”
“The day Adam and Mason work together. Right? Or did I get that wrong?”
I’d walked into the bathroom this morning to find Mason looking over his wounds from the night before. I’d forgotten he had to meet up with Adam this morning. I should’ve felt some sympathy for my boyfriend, but as I took in the sight of his hardened and ripped body in only his boxers, that was the last thing on my mind. Even though we were both hurting, a minute later I’d been on the counter with my legs wrapped around his waist as he was sliding inside.
My neck grew hot. I coughed. “Oh yeah? That was today?”
He rolled his eyes. “Like you didn’t remember. I half-thought you’d be there, spying on Mason while my mom’s spying on some wedding.”
There was already a scheduled wedding to spy on, but I didn’t say that. “Right. Like I’m the type to do that?”
“Uh, yeah. You are. When it comes to Malinda, anyone is the type. I know how she can talk a rock into pretending to be a pet dog. My mom’s got skills.” He shook his head. “Skills I wish I had.”
I was going with a gut hunch here. “Cass problems?”
He cringed. “Let’s not discuss my girlfriend. What about you? Mom said you’re staying with Mason at Helen’s now?”
I nodded. It still felt weird being in her house. Mason had said I was welcome there. Logan would’ve said the same. But the person who owned the house probably had a different opinion. And I couldn’t shake the uneasiness I felt being there, especially with Mason at work during the days now.
